1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transceiver module used in an optical fiber communications system. Specifically, the present invention discloses a transceiver module with a clipping device for the optical fiber communications system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, technology of optical fiber communications has had obvious growth and advancement. A frequency of light waves is higher than a frequency of radio waves. Therefore, systems which utilize light functioning as a carrier wave have broad bandwidth to transmit a substantial amount of information and messages.
Please refer to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is an exploded diagram of a transceiver module 10 used in an optical fiber communications system according to the prior art. The transceiver module 10 comprises a housing 18, a connector 12 for connecting with the housing 18, an optical sub assembly (OSA) 14 installed within the connector 12 for receiving or emitting optical signals, and a printed circuit board (PCB) 16 installed within the housing 18 for processing photoelectric signals. The OSA 14 comprises an optical emitter 22 having a first end 36 connected to an optical fiber so as to transmit optical signals to the optical fiber, and an optical receiver 24 having a first end 38 connected to the optical fiber so as to receive optical signals from the optical fiber. Furthermore, the optical emitter 22 and the optical receiver 24 each comprise a second end having four pins 32 and 34 for electrically connecting to the PCB 16.
Please refer to FIG. 2 through FIG. 3C. FIG. 2 is a vertical view of the optical sub assembly 14 connected to the printed circuit board 16 of the transceiver module 10 depicted in FIG. 1. FIG. 3A is a side view of the optical sub assembly 14 connected to the printed circuit board 16 of the transceiver module 10 depicted in FIG. 2 along a dotted line 3xe2x80x943. FIG. 3B is a side view of the transceiver module 10 depicted in FIG. 2 along the dotted line 3xe2x80x943 when the optical sub assembly 14 connects to the printed circuit board 16 under an unfavorable process such as welding or soldering. FIG. 3C is a side view of the transceiver module 10 depicted in FIG. 2 along the dotted line 3xe2x80x943 which utilizes a plurality of printed circuit boards 16 to overlap so as to connect the optical sub assembly 14 with the printed circuit board 16. As shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3A, the pins 32 and 34 of the optical receiver 24 and the optical emitter 22 of the OSA 14 are electrically connected to the PCB 16 for the transmission of photoelectric signals in the optical fiber communications system. The pins 32 and 34 of the optical emitter 22 and the optical receiver 24 are usually soldered or welded onto the PCB 16 according to the prior art. Design of the transceiver module 10 must obey a regulation of Small Form-factor Pluggable Transceiver Multi-Source Agreement, which states that there must be a distance 50 between centers of the optical receiver 24 or the optical emitter 22 and the center of the PCB 16. A space of a certain range must be maintained, and this results in the pins 32 or 34 of the optical emitter 22 or the optical receiver 24 not matching the position of the PCB 16. Therefore, front ends of the pins 32 or 34 of the optical receiver 22 or the optical emitter 24 need to be deformed or connected with soft lines so as to connect with the PCB 16 by a soldering or welding process.
As shown in FIG. 3B, when the pins 32 or 34 of the optical receiver 22 or the optical emitter 24 are soldered or welded onto the PCB 16, the soldering or welding process causes PCB 16 to depart from its original center after connection with the pins 32 or 34 of the optical receiver 22 or the optical emitter 24. A fixed end 40 positioned at the end of PCB 16 connected with the housing 18 will result in a situation of bad contact, and the transmission of the photoelectric signals will be incorrectly transmitted. Additionally, the pins 32 or 34 of the optical receiver 22 or the optical emitter 24 are formed of slim metal lines. When the optical fiber communications system 10 is used for several years, welding points or soldering points of the pins 32 or 34 connected with the PCB 16 cause the pins 32 or 34 to become loose or broken by the weight of the PCB 16.
As shown in FIG. 3C, the prior art utilizes a plurality of PCBs 16 to overlap so as to obey the regulation of Small Form-factor Pluggable Transceiver Multi-Source Agreement, which states that there must be the distance 50 between the centers of the optical receiver 24 or the optical emitter 22 and the center of the PCB 16. A space of the certain range is achieved by overlapping the plurality of PCBs 16 so that the pins 32 or 34 of the optical emitter 22 or the optical receiver 24 match the PCB 16. For aforementioned reasons, some extra PCBs 16 need to be installed within the optical fiber communications system 10, thus increasing the cost of the optical fiber communications system 10.
It is therefore a primary objective of the claimed invention to provide a transceiver module with a clipping device used in an optical fiber communications system for solving the abovementioned problems.
The claimed invention discloses a transceiver module for an optical fiber communications system. The optical fiber communications system comprises a housing, a connector for connecting with the housing, an optical sub assembly (OSA) installed within the connector for receiving or emitting optical signals, a printed circuit board (PCB) installed within the housing for processing photoelectric signals, and a clipping device disposed within the housing for fixing the OSA so that the OSA is electrically connected with the PCB.
It is an advantage of the claimed invention that the clipping device has a fixing function for the transceiver module and a function of changing shape for the pins of the optical sub assembly so as to connect touching points or surfaces of the printed circuit board in accordance with a uniform standard.
These and other objectives and advantages of the present invention will no doubt become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art after reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment that is illustrated in the various figures and drawings.